diff --git a/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.nix b/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.nix
index 12dc475..1d1e79c 100644
--- a/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.nix
+++ b/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.nix
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ lib.mkIf config.services.xmrig.enable {
       POLL_INTERVAL = "3";
       GRACE_PERIOD = "15";
       CPU_THRESHOLD = "5";
+      STARTUP_COOLDOWN = "10";
     };
   };
 }
diff --git a/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.py b/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.py
index 2aafd7e..85c7ba0 100644
--- a/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.py
+++ b/services/monero/xmrig-auto-pause.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ GRACE_PERIOD = float(os.environ.get("GRACE_PERIOD", "15"))
 # a pause. On a 12-thread system, one fully loaded core ≈ 8.3% of total.
 # Default 5% catches anything using more than ~60% of a single core.
 CPU_THRESHOLD = float(os.environ.get("CPU_THRESHOLD", "5"))
+# After starting xmrig, ignore CPU spikes for this many seconds to let
+# RandomX dataset initialization complete (~4s on the target hardware)
+# without retriggering a stop.
+STARTUP_COOLDOWN = float(os.environ.get("STARTUP_COOLDOWN", "10"))
 
 
 def log(msg):
@@ -77,10 +81,14 @@ def systemctl(action, unit):
 def main():
     paused_by_us = False
     idle_since = None
+    started_at = None  # monotonic time when we last started xmrig
     prev_total = None
     prev_work = None
 
-    log(f"Starting: poll={POLL_INTERVAL}s grace={GRACE_PERIOD}s threshold={CPU_THRESHOLD}%")
+    log(
+        f"Starting: poll={POLL_INTERVAL}s grace={GRACE_PERIOD}s "
+        f"threshold={CPU_THRESHOLD}% cooldown={STARTUP_COOLDOWN}s"
+    )
 
     while True:
         total, work = read_cpu_ticks()
@@ -102,10 +110,24 @@ def main():
         prev_total = total
         prev_work = work
 
+        # Don't act during startup cooldown — RandomX dataset init causes
+        # a transient CPU spike that would immediately retrigger a stop.
+        if started_at is not None:
+            if time.monotonic() - started_at < STARTUP_COOLDOWN:
+                time.sleep(POLL_INTERVAL)
+                continue
+            started_at = None
+
         busy = real_work_pct > CPU_THRESHOLD
 
         if busy:
             idle_since = None
+            if paused_by_us and is_active("xmrig.service"):
+                # Something else restarted xmrig (deploy, manual start, etc.)
+                # while we thought it was stopped. Reset ownership so we can
+                # manage it again.
+                log("xmrig was restarted externally while paused — reclaiming")
+                paused_by_us = False
             if not paused_by_us:
                 # Only claim ownership if xmrig is actually running.
                 # If something else stopped it (e.g. UPS battery hook),
@@ -122,6 +144,7 @@ def main():
                     log(f"Workload ended ({real_work_pct:.1f}% CPU) past grace period — starting xmrig")
                     if systemctl("start", "xmrig.service"):
                         paused_by_us = False
+                        started_at = time.monotonic()
                     idle_since = None
 
         time.sleep(POLL_INTERVAL)
diff --git a/tests/xmrig-auto-pause.nix b/tests/xmrig-auto-pause.nix
index ba8d225..20dc7d8 100644
--- a/tests/xmrig-auto-pause.nix
+++ b/tests/xmrig-auto-pause.nix
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
     POLL_INTERVAL = "1"
     GRACE_PERIOD = "5"
     CPU_THRESHOLD = "10"
+    STARTUP_COOLDOWN = "4"
 
     def start_cpu_load(name):
         """Start a non-nice CPU burn as a transient systemd unit."""
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
             f"--setenv=POLL_INTERVAL={POLL_INTERVAL} "
             f"--setenv=GRACE_PERIOD={GRACE_PERIOD} "
             f"--setenv=CPU_THRESHOLD={CPU_THRESHOLD} "
+            f"--setenv=STARTUP_COOLDOWN={STARTUP_COOLDOWN} "
             f"{PYTHON} {SCRIPT}"
         )
         # Monitor needs two consecutive polls to compute a CPU delta.
@@ -84,8 +86,9 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
 
     with subtest("xmrig resumes after grace period expires"):
         # Already idle since previous subtest. Grace period (5s) plus
-        # detection delay (~2 polls) means xmrig should restart within ~8s.
-        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=15)
+        # detection delay (~2 polls) plus startup cooldown (4s) means
+        # xmrig should restart within ~12s.
+        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=20)
 
     with subtest("Intermittent load does not cause flapping"):
         # First load — stop xmrig
@@ -104,7 +107,7 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
         machine.fail("systemctl is-active xmrig")
 
         stop_cpu_load("cpu-load-2")
-        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=15)
+        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=20)
 
     with subtest("Sustained load keeps xmrig stopped"):
         start_cpu_load("cpu-load-3")
@@ -116,6 +119,20 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
         machine.fail("systemctl is-active xmrig")
 
         stop_cpu_load("cpu-load-3")
-        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=15)
+        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=20)
+
+    with subtest("External restart detected and re-stopped under load"):
+        # Put system under load so auto-pause stops xmrig.
+        start_cpu_load("cpu-load-4")
+        machine.wait_until_fails("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=20)
+
+        # Something external starts xmrig while load is active.
+        # The script should detect this and re-stop it.
+        machine.succeed("systemctl start xmrig")
+        machine.succeed("systemctl is-active xmrig")
+        machine.wait_until_fails("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=20)
+
+        stop_cpu_load("cpu-load-4")
+        machine.wait_until_succeeds("systemctl is-active xmrig", timeout=20)
   '';
 }